Tarzana: The Genderbended Story of 'Tarzan'
by joshuasumter951
Summary: In the genderbended retelling of Disney's Tarzan, Tarzana learn the ways of the animal kingdom with ape buddy, Tope and elephant pal, Thema. But when she meet the handsome Jack, his mom, Prof. Porter, and the wily huntress Clarice, Tarzana is forced to choose between humans and the life she know and love. Based on "Two Worlds, One Family" by MedieavalBeabe, with art by Miss-Dutch.
1. ACT 1

_This is the story of two families. One is human, and the other, a family of apes. The two families seem quite different, and yet in some ways, they were very much alike.  
Both had a father, a mother, and a child. Both adored their kids.  
Both would have been surprised to learn that before long, their two families...would become one._

The whole thing began one stormy night off the coast of Africa. The human family was on a ship that had caught fire.

The father helped his wife and child into a lifeboat and lowered it into the water. Then, he jumped into the water, swam to the lifeboat, took the oars, and began rowing as the ship sinked into the water.

When the human family reached land the next morning, they found a dense jungle. They picked out a large tree, where they could live and began building a home with parts from the shipwreck.

Deep within the jungle lived a group of apes, watched over and protected by their leader, Kayode.

Like the human parents, Kayode and his mate, Yejide, loved their own child and spent many happy hours with playing with her.

But one night, everything changed when danger threatened both human and ape, in the form of the deadly leopard, Sabor. Because the little ape wandered away and was carried off by the leopard.

* * *

Kayode, the leader and ape father, couldn't help but feel sadness and could not be comforted either. He lagged behind as the apes moved onto new grounds.

Suddenly, he heard a distant crying sound. Could it be his child?

Kayode couldn't be sure, so he followed the sound to the edge of the jungle, where the human family had built their tree house. Climbing up the tree, he looked through the doorway.

The place was a mess. Furniture was overturned, windows were broken, and on the floor were the bloody paw prints of a certain leopard.

Kayode knew that this tree house belong to the humans. He tried to looked closely at the humans, who were lying peacefully in a shadowy corner. Their faces were obscured by the door that was leaning against the wall, where it had been ripped from the wall some time ago.

Unbeknownst to Kayode, if the humans had been able to see him, they would have been fascinated. In spite of what Kayode's own father had always told him about humans, they wouldn't have done anything to harm him, rather than have wished to observe and study him in his natural habitat.

But the humans he's seeing couldn't see him.

Kayode took a step further into the room and then realized why. Amid a sweeping of feathers, billowing from a torn cushion, the floor near the humans' resting spot was covered in blooded claw marks.

Leopard claw marks.

They belonged to Sabor, the same leopard that had killed Kayode's own baby daughter a few days ago. He knew Yejide had gone into a deep depression, because she was already a mother without a baby.

Then, looking down, he saw a picture in some kind of hard casing. The photograph showed three humans; a man with a moustache and a handsome face, a beautiful young woman with sharp eyes and a smaller human in her arms.

Kayode frowned down at the picture, and then a sudden wailing sound caused him to startled.

Cautiously, Kayode approached, wondering if it was some animal in pain. Whatever it was, it was covered by a blanket.

In the crib, beneath the blanket, Kayode found not his child, but a human baby girl.

Kayode had never seen one before. It looked funny. Then, he sniffed at it, and it smelled funny. It didn't even have fur!

But it was sad and all alone. Kayode looked back at the photograph, and realized that it was the very same baby from the photograph. It belonged to the human parents, who were killed by Sabor.

"Hello?" Kayode said, timidly. His voice echoed throughout the tree house. He moved closer to the baby girl, looking at it tenderly. "Poor kid. I know what it's like to lose a loved one."

Kayode gently picked the baby girl up. He cradled her in his arms and she smiled. Suddenly, a ray of hope showered and his heart was already filled with love as Kayode smiled at the baby. "Don't worry, you're not alone anymore."

Presently, however, Kayode became aware that they weren't alone. With an uneasy feeling, he looked upward.

 _ **ROAR!**_

It was Sabor the leopard as it growled down at him, hungrily. Kayode clutched the helpless baby and ran out of the tree house. He had to escape!

Then, Kayode saw a boat attached to a rope. Desperate, he jumped in.

 _Whump!_ The boat fell safely to the ground below. Sabor tried to follow, but got tangled in the cord.

Reaching the bottom, Kayode looked up to see Sabor tangled in the rope like a fly in a spider's web. With a defiant growl in the leopard's direction, he ran through the forest, with the baby in tow, back to the family.

Kayode joined the other apes, who were relief to see him approaching them.

"Kayode!" they all exclaimed, making their way up to him.

"I'm fine," Kayode grinned.

"We thought you were leading," Another ape said.

"I got a little bit...sidetracked." Kayode replied as he presented the baby to the other apes. When they saw her, they stopped and stared.

"Oh," said one ape, "isn't that..?"

"Well, it, um," said another, awkwardly, "It certainly..."

But one of the younger apes named Tope wasn't afraid to speak his mind as he voiced what they were all thinking. "It's pretty funny looking, that's what it is."

"Temitope!" His father reprimanded him.

"Well, it is!" Tope peered at the baby. "I mean, what the heck is it, anyway?"

Kayode laughed at the young ape and then handed the baby to him. "She's a baby, like you, only human."

"Well-!" Tope's cry of protest was cut short as the baby began to groom his large tuft of hair with her chubby hands. He chuckled, "So, where's her mama and papa?"

"Well," Kayode said, very honestly, "I'm going to be her father from now on."

Yejide finally approached the group as Tope chuckled again, "You know, she's not that bad once you get to know her."

"Kayode, whatever you're doing, it's a bad idea," Yejide said to Kayode.

"Look, I save her from Sabor," Kayode protested.

Yejide looked squarely at her mate, "But it's not our kind, Kayode. Take her back. She could put us all in danger."

Kayode refused as he tried to tell his mate, "I know what you're feeling, but... but leaving her here is wrong. She needs me."

"Wrong? Our child is gone, and it's because of that leopard!" Yejide replied, angrily. "You can't put our own family in danger. If the jungle wants her, then-"

"I know you blame the leopard, Yejide, but I want her. Does she look dangerous to you?" Kayode piped up.

Yejide was about to shout, but she sighed. "I see. Was it really alone?"

Kayode nodded. Then, he explained to the others that Sabor killed her human parents, "Yes. Sabor killed her family."

"Are you serious?" Yejide was stunned.

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. There were no other humans left."

Yejide softened. "Fine. Bring it into the family if you think it'll make you feel any better; but it can never be the daughter we lost. Not to me, anyway."

As Yejide moved off, Kayode sighed and then called to the rest of the family. "We'll make camp here tonight."

The gorillas nodded in agreement and began to arrange nests for themselves, stealing fascinated glances at Kayode's sudden love for the baby girl.

Only Tope eventually went up to him, took one last look at the baby, and asked, "So, um, whatcha gonna call her?"

Kayode thought for a second, "I'm going to call her...Tarzana."

"Tarzana?!" Tope tried it out. "Ok...she's your baby."

Kayode then looked at the baby, smiling. "I'll keep you safe, little one. Don't worry about what they say. You will always be my little girl. Always."

* * *

The time flew by, and soon, Tarzana was 5 years old. She liked playing with the younger apes, but they didn't always like having her around. She had trouble climbing trees and besides, she hardly had any hair.

One day, Tope was with some of his friends at Elephant Falls. Below them, a group of elephants were bathing.

All of a sudden, Tarzana came by, crashing right into them.

Tope crawled up to them. "Come on, guys, let her join in. She's not that much of a pest, really."

Mungo shook his head. "No way!"

"Oh, come on, guys, what if she proved she was one of us?"

"How?"

Tope thought for a minute, then he went to Tarzana, "Personally, I'd love to hang out with you and all, but the guys can be a little convincing, ya know?"

"Okay, what do I gotta do?" Tarzana asked.

"Uh, well, you gotta...uh...get a hair."

"A hair?"

"Yeah. An elephant hair."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Tarzana asked Tope as they approached the watering hole, slowly.

"Relax!" Tope drawled. "All ya gotta do is sneak up on that little one while I keep 'em talkin'. Then, ya just pull out a hair. Nothing to it. She won't even feel it."

Tope figured Tarzana would be discouraged by this dangerous task, but Tarzana wanted so much to be accepted by the other apes.

As planned, Tope went to the watering hole, trying to get the elephants' attention.

"Hey, you pachyderms!" Tope called, walking up to a group of adult elephants. "Now, I was just talking to my good friend, the rhino, and he was telling me that you guys are from the same family. Is that true, or is that guy just crackers? 'Cause, ya know, ya don't look much alike, no offense..."

Quietly, Tarzana made her away towards the younger elephant named Thema, who was muttering to herself about bacteria and unsanitary water.

 _Here goes nothing_ , Tarzana thought, and she quickly pulled a hair from the elephant's tail.

Thema screamed at once and cannoned into her mother. "Piranha! It's a piranha!"

"There are no piranhas in Africa, Thema!" her mother sighed.

At that point, Tarzana, who had been knocked into the water at Thema's scream, surfaced with a great gasping breath, which the elephants mistook for a biting motion.

"Piranha!" The elephants all exclaimed, and then they stampeded the shoreline, heading straight for the gorillas.

Luckily, all the gorillas managed to get to safety in time. Kayode looked around, "Where's Tarzana?"

Thema watched as Tope dragged Tarzana from the water.

"Tarzana!" Tope tried to wake her up as Tarzana coughed and spluttered. "Tarzana, buddy, speak to me!"

"Get away from there!" cried Thema, pulling him away with her trunk. "Don't you know a piranha can strip your flesh in seconds?"

"What? She's not a piranha!" Tope pulled free just as Tarzana recovered.

"Hey, Tarzana!" Tope hugged her. "Gee, sorry, all that danger for nothing. You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I wouldn't say that," Tarzana grinned, showing Tope an elephant hair.

"I don't believe it. You got the hair?"

"Is that what this is all about?" Thema swished her tail. "Why didn't you say so? I got a whole tail of 'em!"

The three of them laughed and that was when Kayode ran up and pulled her into his arms. "Tarzana, you're safe!" Then, he addressed her sternly. "What happened?"

Tope tried to explain, "Ummm, well, it's sort of a long...it's involved...because what happened...it was a weird-"

Tarzana halted Tope as she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Papa. I...we were playing, and well...I sorta scared the elephants. I didn't mean it."

"You almost hurt somebody!" snapped Yejide.

Tarzana flinched at her tone, "But it was an accident."

"All right, that's enough. She's only a child," Kayode said to Yejide, sternly, defended Tarzana.

"That's no excuse, Kayode," Yejide argued. "You may be the leader, but you can't keep defending her."

"But she'll learn!"

"She will never learn! She can't learn to be one of us!"

"Because you never give her a chance! I gave her a chance. Why can't you do the same?"

"Give her a chance? You know I'm right; why are you so in denial! Kayode, look at her! She will never be one of us!"

Tarzana, stunned, dropped the elephant hair, rose to her feet and went running off into the jungle.

"Tarzana, hey!" Tope called after her, but she didn't stop.

* * *

Later that evening, Tarzana stared sadly at her reflection in a pool of water, wondering why she was so different from the other apes.

Just then, Kayode appeared, seeing that Tarzan smeared herself with mud, trying to look more like an ape.

"Why am I so different?" Tarzana asked sadly.

"Because you're covered in mud, that's why," Kayode answered, smiling a bit.

Eventually, Tarzana was able to get her words out. "Yejide said I didn't belong in the family!"

"Never mind what Yejide said."

"But look at me!"

Kayode blinked at her. "I am, Tarzana. And do you know what do I see? I see two eyes, a nose, a mouth, two ears...and what else?"

Tarzana grinned and held up her hands. "Two hands?"

"That's right." Kayode held up his own hands. They looked the same as hers, and yet different.

Tarzana looked at her own hands. "But we're not exactly the same," she realized.

"Maybe we don't look the same," Kayode replied, wisely, "but we're not that different."

Kayode put Tarzana's hand to her chest. "What do you feel?"

"My heartbeat."

"Now come here." Kayode held her to his chest. "What do you hear?"

"Your heartbeat."

"See, they're the same." Kayode's smile faded. "Yejide just can't see that."

Tarzana smiled up at him. "I'll make her see it, Papa. I'll be the best ape ever; even if I'm not one."

And over the next several years, Tarzana's goal wasn't an easy one. At first, she struggled to keep up with her family.

But with perseverance, the help of good friends, and her ability to observe and mimic the other animals, Tarzana was well on her way.

Of course, Tarzana still had much to learn.

Upon reaching adulthood, Tarzana has developed skills and talents that boost her confidence, help her family, and please her friends.

Tarzana gained so much strength, speed, and agility that even the apes have trouble keeping up with her. She knew the jungle like the back of her own hand, better even and Kayode was very proud of her.

In the end, Tarzana became something more than an ape. Daughter of Man.

* * *

As the years passed, Tarzana grew into a young woman. Tope and Thema grew with her, and the three became fast friends.

One day, Tarzana and Tope were wrestling, which always made Thema very upset.

Thema shook her head at Tarzana's unladylike form of playing. "Honestly, you two! It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye or an arm! Someone's gonna get hurt here and it's almost either you two or me..."

But Tarzana and Tope almost hear her as Thema sighed, "Why do you two always have to play so rough? It's not good for you, Tarzana; you should be acting like a lady."

"Lady?" Tarzana wriggled free and then flipped Tope. "Please! Whatever I am, Thema, we all know I'm no lady! Where's the fun in that?"

As she spoke, Tarzana felt two things. One was a pang of loneliness that she had never even confided to even Kayode that often came along when she questioned what kind of creature she actually was.

The second was a sudden feeling of unease that they weren't alone in this clearing.

"Ow! Cramp, cramp in the calf! Okay, okay, you win! Ow! Ow! Okay, okay! You win. Hello...hello down there, yo! YO! Let go! ACCH! CAAACH!"

Glancing down, Tarzana realized that she had Tope's right leg hooked over at a painful angle. She quickly released him. "Sorry, Tope."

"Aw, honestly!" sighed Tope, rubbing his sore muscle. "What kind of animal are you?"

"You know," said Thema, as Tarzana approached a cluster of bushes that had caused the hairs on the back of her neck to prick up, "I've been thinking a lot lately that maybe Tarzana could be some sub-species of elephant."

"What?" exclaimed Tope, shaking his head. "Are you crazy?"

"Think about it. She likes peanuts, I like peanuts..."

"I don't believe I'm hearing this," Tope muttered as Tarzana turned to them. "I don't see any peanuts in this jungle, so she looks nothin' like ya!"

Suddenly, out of the bushes leaped a familiar figure. It was Sabor the leopard!

The three friends yelped as the leopard chased them back to the feeding grounds.

The growls Sabor omitted didn't go unheard by the rest of the family, and all apes on the ground scattered. Tarzana leap up the nearest tree, and Sabor followed...until she found herself ripped from the trunk by Kayode.

As head of the family, after all, it was Kayode's duty to protect them. Tarzana gasped as Sabor leap back and pinned him to the ground.

The other apes gasped, too. Thema, who wasn't good with violence, covered her eyes with her ears.

"Kayode!" cried Yejide, who was halfway up a tree, but now she slid down to face Sabor.

Tarzana watched as her father was knocked down and the leopard turned her attention to Yejide. Snatching up her handmade spear, Tarzana leap down to the ground, too.

Hearing her land, Sabor turned to her. She recognized the prey she had been denied all those years ago.

Tarzana, however, didn't recognize the beast that had killed her real human parents. Of course, she had been only a baby at the time, and now she was just eighteen, by human years, so many of her earliest memories were gone.

As the battle raged on, Sabor leaped at Tarzana, and they both fell into a deep pit.

The fearful ape family watched as sounds of snarling and roaring came from a pit. Then, there was a silence.

Moments later, a triumphant Tarzana climbed out of the pit, holding the lifeless leopard.

The apes erupted into cheers and applause. Kayode sighed in relief that she was alright.

"Tarzana, that was amazing!" exclaimed Thema, seizing her in a hug with her trunk. Then, with a stern tone of authority, she added, "But you could have been killed! Don't scare me like that again!"

Tarzana laughed as the other gorillas gathered around her.

As they did, Tope pushed his way to the front of the group, "Okay, everybody. Move aside. Out of the way. Best Friend coming through. That would be me."

Then, Tope put his arm around Tarzana, "Don't make a habit of it. There are other ways to get attention, you know."

"I'll try to remember that," Tarzana replied. Then, she glanced over at Kayode and then ran over to him. "Are you alright?"

Kayode grinned at her. "Few bruises, but nothing I can't handle."

Tarzana hugged him and then looked over at Yejide, who was standing a little way off.

Yejide couldn't believe it. Tarzana had just saved her life, even though Yejide had never given her any reason to. Perhaps, perhaps she wasn't so bad after all.

Then, Yejide realized that Tarzana had come up to her. They shared a mutual look of understanding as Yejide smiled at her.

Just then, a loud gunshot rang out. Everyone turned at the unfamiliar sound.

Only Tarzana and Tope turned to Thema, thinking it was her. Thema looked offended. "Well! I may get a little bit gassy under pressure, but that certainly wasn't me!"

"What was that?" Tarzana asked the two.

"I don't know," Tope answered. "And if I did know, I don't think I want to know."

Kayode, however, knew that sound. He had heard it before.

It was the sound of humans. And they were dangerous to gorillas, all except Tarzana.

"Everyone, let's move," Kayode ordered.

The other gorillas and Thema nodded as Kayode led them deeper into the jungle, but Tarzana decided to investigate as she quickly leap up the nearest tree.

Kayode turned and decided to let her go find out, _She would come along_ , he thought. _She had just taken on a fully grown leopard by herself. I mean, if she could survive that, then there's no need to worry about her now._

Although Sabor was defeated, a deadlier danger had only just begun...

 **To be continued...**


	2. ACT 2

Climbing a tree, from a treetop, Tarzana looked down at three strange-looking creatures. The leader was cutting down a path through the thick vegetation.

Tarzana didn't know it,...but they were humans. Similar creatures just like her!

The two of them were women. One was tall, curvaceous and held herself in an upright position. She had dark brown hair, streaks slightly with white, even though she could only have been in her forties at the latest and cruel eyes, although she spoke with a crisp, cut-glass English accent and addressed the other woman patiently.

The other woman was small, dumpy and quite a bit older and more ditzy than the first, but with a pleasant demeanor, neat white hair and a friendly smile.

Both wore yellow travelling clothes and the older woman also wore a small pith helmet to keep the sun out of her eyes.

"Wha-what is it, Ms. Clarice?" The other asked, whose name was Professor Arabella Q. Porter.

The tall one with a rifle, whose name was Clarice, replied, "I thought I saw something. Don't move."

The Professor immediately froze in a comical pose when she heard a voice, "Mother? Mother?"

Tarzana stared at from within the bamboo cluster...was a handsome young man, perhaps only a few years older than her, stepped up to his mother.

Unlike her, his hair was a light brown color and he had a small, neat moustache that made him look a little older than he actually was. He was also dressed in yellow clothing, too.

"Mother, what's all the hullabaloo about?" he asked, clasping his sketch pad and pencil close to him.

"Jack," his mother replied, wobbling. "Miss Clarice told me not to move. She saw something."

Then, as Jack moved over to Clarice, she lost balance completely. "Oops," she muttered, "I moved!"

"Imagine that!" Jack sighed.

Tarzana couldn't find out why her heart was racing faster at the sight of this new creature as Jack stepped up to Clarice, "Excuse me, Lady Clarice, but my mother and I came on this expedition to study gorillas, and I don't think your shooting is helping out on this one."

Clarice turned with a vivacious smile, "You hired me to protect you, Mr Porter. And protect you I shall."

"And you're doing a fine job and all, but we only got a whole time before the boat-"

Jack was interrupted again as his mother exclaimed in excitement. "Jack! Jack! Do you realize what you're standing in? A gorilla nest!"

Looking down at the pile of leaves surrounding his feet, Jack saw that she was right.

"At last!" exclaimed Clarice. "Our first sign in days! Do you think the beasts could be nearby?"

"Look, there are more of them!" Jack pointed. "It's just like you predicted, Mother, family groups!"

Clarice laughed, "Family groups? Excuse me, Professor, but these are wild beasts that would sooner tear your head off than look at you!"

"On the contrary, Lady Clarice," said Jack, boldly, "It may surprise you to know that not everything is as it appears to be. And upon closer examination, I'm sure you'll figure out soon enough. After all, Mother's theory is that they're social creatures-"

He was cut off yet again as Clarice suddenly fired a warning shot at some rustling close by.

"Will you please stop that, Miss Clarice?!" Jack insisted. "What if it's a gorilla?"

"It's no gorilla," Clarice mused. "But we should press on..."

"Oh, yes, quite," agreed the Professor. "Now, if we go this way..."

They left as Jack looked around the area once more...

As Tarzana watched, Jack fell behind his companions. His sketchbook was filling up. He even found a baby baboon to draw.

But the charming baby grabbed the picture away from Jack.

"Why, you little art thief!" Jack scolded, trying to grab the sketch back.

The baby baboon started crying. Suddenly, Jack was surrounded! It was the baboon's family, and they were angry.

"Oh...you see, I told you they would be cross," Jack muttered to himself, then he turned to the baboons, smiling nervously. "Uhh, go easy on him. Children will be children. Come on now, let's talk about this."

Jack scrambled to his feet and ran, with the baboons hard at his feet. He glanced back in terror, and just as he reached a sudden chasm in the ground.

Taking a big chance to escape, Jack closed his eyes and jumped himself forward...and when he opened his eyes, he felt himself flying.

"Oh my goodness!" Jack cried. "I'm flying?"

But when he looked up, he was amazed to see a young woman, rather scantily clad, swinging from a vine above him and keeping a tight grip on him.

It was Tarzana, who swung them both onto a large tree branch and Jack steadied himself, blinking at her in amazement.

After a scary chase, they finally escaped to a nearby tree as the log they had just been on came crashing to the ground, along with most of the baboons.

One, however, along with the baby, landed on the branch in front of them and chattered, demanding something.

To Jack's alarm, Tarzana chattered back and then, understanding, took the page Jack had stuck in his waistcoat pocket, with the baboon's drawing on it, and handed it to the baby baboon. Satisfied, the two hopped away.

Tarzana turned, only to see Jack attempting to escape around the tree.

"I'm in a tree with a woman who talks to monkeys!" Jack babbled to himself as he attempted to shift his body to a tree branch opposite. "Now, Jack, keep it together! There aren't any half naked women in the jungle. It's just because of the humidity and the adrenaline! Yes, when the baboons chased me, I did all those things myself. The adrenaline made me see things, the adrenaline is gone and I'm seeing normal again."

Bridging himself between trunk and branch, Jack took a deep breath. "Now, I have to get down, carefully. So far, so good. One, two, three..."

He tried to push himself onto the branch, but with a yelp and unable to get his balance, Jack ended up a bridge between the two again.

Jack sighed. "This can't get any worse, right?"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth, the rain came down. Jack sighed with his eyes closed, "Right..."

Jack opened his eyes to see Tarzana staring up at him, curiously. In shock, he jumped, backwards and Tarzana, sensing he was about to fall, quickly cannoned into him and threw him safely onto the branch.

Backing up against the trunk, Jack stared at the strange, but undeniably pretty young woman. "OK, so maybe I _wasn't_ seeing things."

Tarzana moved herself alarmingly closer to him and touched his face.

Jack, having been brought up as a proper English gentleman, knew that this kind of behavior between men and women seemed usually considered inappropriate and he caught her hands and cleared his throat. "Well, yes, I think I have to thank you for your help with the baboons..."

Tarzana looked up into his face and then frowned at his hand on hers.

"What?" Jack couldn't help asking, not unkindly.

Tarzana looked at it, fascinated, and held out her hand to compare the two. The hands looked alike!

Tarzana stared at Jack, amazed. Could it be that in some way, she was like this strange, handsome creature?

To find out, Tarzana leaned her head down to Jack's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"Hey, what are you-?" Jack began, but as Tarzana rested her head against his chest, he ceased talking. Then, to his shock, Tarzana grabbed Jack's head and pulled it against her own chest.

Flushing and flustered, but also realizing what she was doing, Jack quickly pushed her away, gently though. "Ah, well, that's a very nice...good...sounding heartbeat. Very healthy."

Tarzana frowned and then copied him. "Very...heal-thy."

"Yes," Jack agreed, still trying to get over the fact he was in a tree with some strange wild woman, "with the things you can do, you must have remarkable health and stamina..." He broke off and stared at her. "Wait! Did you just speak?"

Tarzana blinked at him as Jack sat up a little straighter. "You _do_ speak! All this time, I thought you were a big, wild, quiet, silent person type...! Can you also understand what I'm say-?"

He was cut off as Tarzana laid her finger to his lips. Then, pointing to herself, she said in a clear voice, "Tarzana."

Jack frowned, slightly. She tried again, more clearly. "Tar-za-na."

"Tarzana," Jack repeated.

"Mm-hm!" Tarzana nodded, thrusting her face close to his.

Jack understood. "Oh, that's your name!"

"Oh, that's your name!" Tarzana imitated. She pointed to herself. "Tarzana." Then, she put her hands on his shoulders. "Oh, that's your name!"

"Oh, no, no, no. You misunderstood," Jack removed her hands. Clearing his throat, he introduced himself a little more formally, "The name's Jack."

"The name's Jack," Tarzana imitated, mimicking his gestures.

"No, no, no," Jack tried again, laying a hand on her shoulder. He pointed to himself. "Jack." He pointed to her. "Tarzana." Then to himself again. "Jack."

Tarzana looked at him and understood, even if she still didn't understand this strange feeling in her heart as she looked at him.

"Jack," she repeated, softly, liking the sound of it as she touched his face gently.

"Yes, exactly..." Jack said, feeling the color rush to his cheeks as his own heart began to race with similar feelings.

Suddenly, both had heard Clarice fire off a gunshot, which Tarzana had then mistakenly named as "Clarice" after Jack mentioned her name.

"Can-you-take-me-to-my-camp?" Jack asked Tarzana.

And then, much to Jack's terror, Tarzana swept him up, grabbed a vine, and swung them both off through the tree, to the camp, completely ignoring Jack's yelp of "Can't we walk?!"

* * *

Not far away, Tope, Thema, and some friends had become worried about Tarzana and were looking for her.

As they did, they entered a clearing, and found the humans' camp, where there were tents, a grandfather clock, a typewriter, a blackboard, a tea set, and other equipment.

Tope looked around, appalled, "What kind of primitive beasts are responsible for this mess?"

Then, he found a typewriter and tapped a key. One of his friends began dropping dishes, and the others joined in the fun.

Before long, they had built up a rhythm. As they played their instruments, they were slowly destroying the camp.

Kayode and the other apes, hearing the racket, went to investigate. So did Clarice and Professor Porter.

Tarzana and Jack were the first to arrive, and as they entered the clearing, Jack saw Tarzana run over to greet Tope.

"Hey, Tarzana!" Tope cried. "Look what we found!"

Jack couldn't believe his eyes as he gasped, "Gorillas!...And she's one of them?"

When Tope saw Jack, his smile faded and he stared, not in fear, but in amazement, at the creature who looked something like Tarzana, and yet, at the same time, different.

Jack, in his turn, stared at the gorilla. Tope walked slowly up to him and Jack, knowing that they could easily interpret any quick or sudden movements as a sign of aggression or attack, slowly reached out to shake hands with Tope.

However, Jack didn't get the chance, because he suddenly sensed that something was behind him. Turning around, he saw that a very stern Kayode was standing behind him.

"Oh, my-" Jack began, having never seen a silverback before. Then, he tried to greet their leader, "Hey, I'm Jack Porter, at your service. I come in peace, and..."

Suddenly, Yejide appeared beside her mate, and snarled at Jack. Instinctively, Jack screamed and dived to the floor and seized a nearby ladle.

"Enough!" Kayode said to Yejide, who quietened at once. Then, he ordered his family to leave.

The other gorillas and even Thema quickly fell into line, dropped what they were holding, and quickly make a hasty retreat.

Jack, surprised that the gorillas hadn't attacked him, watched them leave. Finally, only Tarzana and her father were left.

Kayode, looking confused, simply took his daughter's arm gently and pulled her back into the jungle.

Tarzana threw a look over her shoulder at Jack and he saw regret in her eyes, regret that she couldn't stay longer and an apology for Yejide having frightened him.

Jack sat up just as his mother and Clarice burst into the camp.

"Oh, Jack, there you are!" exclaimed Professor Porter, hugging him. "Are you all right? We've been everywhere for you! Don't scare me like that! You know I'm not as young as I used to be! What happened?"

Jack tried to explain, "Oh, my goodness! Mother, You won't believe what's just happened to me! First off, there was this little monkey, well it was a baby baboon, and I was sketching it. Suddenly, the monkey starts crying. But, I turn around and there's a whole FLEET OF THEM. An ARMY of monkeys! A huge tree full of monkeys, screaming at me!"

Professor Porter, seeing that Jack is imitating a monkey, laughed and looked at Clarice, "Oh! Now that's Theripicus Baboonus! He's very good at this!"

"Terrified! I was terrified!" Jack continued, "Suddenly, I was swinging, on a vine, up in the air! Swinging, in the air! I was in the air! And then, I was all surrounded!

"Oh, and what did you do?" Prof. Porter asked, wanted to hear more.

"And, Mother! They nearly took my boot!"

"But those are the ones I bought you."

"And I was SAVED. I was saved by a flying, wild woman...wearing barely anything."

Clarice glanced at the Professor. "What is he talking about?"

"I haven't had the foggiest idea," the Professor replied, mystified. "Takes after his father, you know. He'd come up with stories like that. Not about women in loincloths, actually."

"And then," Jack said, spinning to face them, "she brought me back here and there were gorillas-!"

"Gorillas!" Clarice seized his shoulders. "You saw the gorillas?"

"Jack, that's wonderful!" cried his mother, excitedly. Then, looking around their trashed camp and noting that they were no longer in sight, added "Where are they?"

"Well?" Clarice asked, giving him a little shake.

"She left with them," Jack replied, dazed.

"Who, dear?"

"Tarzana."

"Tarzana?" repeated Clarice with a frown, wondering if Jack was quite in his right mind.

"The ape woman."

* * *

Speaking of the ape woman, she was at another part of the jungle, with the other apes, along with Kayode and Yejide.

Kayode addressed the rest of the family. "Everyone, we will avoid the strangers. Don't let them see you and don't seek them out. Protect yourselves and one another by staying away from them."

Tarzana bit her lip as the group broke up.

Yejide brushed her in passing. "Sometimes, you'd do well to listen to Kayode, Tarzana," she said, though not unkindly, and then she left them alone.

Tarzana turned to Kayode, "Why didn't you tell me there were others that looked like me?"

Kayode sat down and Tarzana followed suit. "I didn't think I'd ever have to. I had heard stories of them, these humans, coming to the jungle before my time, but I didn't think any would show up now."

"So...that is what I am?" Tarzana asked. "A human?"

Kayode smiled. "Only in body. In your mind, you're an ape, and you can probably do things those other humans can't."

Then, he sighed as Kayode continued, "I know I was wrong to keep it from you and I know that you'd long to see them again. I won't stop you. But, Tarzana, be careful. Sometimes, humans, like apes, can keep their true natures well hidden."

Kayode looked at Tarzana as she left. He knew she was confused, but he believed Tarzana would join her kind if she knew the truth about her past.

* * *

The next morning, Tarzana woke up early and found her way easily back to the human camp, where Jack described her to his mother.

"Well, she didn't stand up right, she sort of crouched, like that," Jack said.

"Really?" Professor Porter asked as she was keen to learn all she could about this new discovery of her son's.

Jack was drawing up a picture of Tarzana on the blackboard as he continued, "She supports her weight on her knuckles."

"On the knuckles!" Professor Porter was surprised.

"Exactly like a gorilla!" Jack pointed out.

"Oh, I see! Like Uncle Ish!" Professor Porter was so excited, "This is capital! Oh, Jack! What a discovery! A woman with no language, no human behavior..."

"And no respect for personal boundaries," Jack added.

Professor Porter, confused, asked, "How do you mean?"

"She was this close to me, Mother, staring at me," Jack replied as he goes back to blackboard and finishes his drawing of Tarzana, "She was just confused at first, as if she had never seen another human before. Her eyes were so intense...and focused, and... I've never seen such beautiful eyes."

Jack trailed off with his eyes closed and hearts floating around him when he somehow thought about Tarzana.

Professor Porter knew that look on his face and she chuckled, "Shall I - ahem - leave you and the blackboard alone for a moment?"

"Oh, Mother, stop it," Jack laughed, "I'm just fascinated by her because, well,... The point is, think of what we could learn from her! We must find her."

Clarice, who had been listening, couldn't restrain herself any longer, "Professor, you're here to find gorillas! Not indulge in some boyish pervert fantasy."

"What fantasy?" Jack folded his arms. "I didn't imagine her! Tarzana is-!"

That was when Tarzana dropped down from her tree and landed between them, on all fours, just as Jack had described her.

"...Real!" Jack finished with a satisfied expression on his face.

"It's h... It's her...!" exclaimed the Professor, excitedly. "It's...Tarzana!"

"Professor! Jack! Stand back," Clarice ordered, alarmed by this strange woman and aiming her gun at her.

"NO!" Jack yelped, pushing the barrel away in time. The shot fired into the air.

"Clarice," said Tarzana, promptly.

"Huh? What did you say?" asked the Professor.

"Clarice," repeated Tarzana, proud that she had remembered the word.

Professor Porter burst out laughing.

Jack managed to hide a smile as Clarice stared at the newcomer, "Have we met? How does she know my name?"

"She thinks it means the sound of a gunshot," said Jack.

Tarzana quickly hopped up to him and touched his face like she had before. "Jack."

"Yes, hello again...Tarzana," Jack replied, trying to remain calm as she touched his face most unnaturally.

His mother laughed again, "I see what you mean by having no respect for personal boundaries."

Tarzana looked all over Jack and then tried to do the same to Clarice. Clarice flinched, jerking her gun back out of the way.

The sharp movement startled Tarzana and, to Jack's surprise, she leap onto his back, clinging with arms and legs exactly the way a pet monkey might do.

"Absolutely fascinating!" exclaimed Professor Porter. "Moves like an ape, but looks like a woman. It's like she could be the missing link!"

"Or our link to the gorillas," Clarice replied, thoughtfully. Clearing her throat, she stepped up to Jack and addressed Tarzana in a ladylike tone. "Where are the gorillas?"

Tarzana blinked at her and then smiled. Clarice lost patience completely.

"GO-RI-LLAS!" Clarice shouted, like someone talking to a foreigner or a mad person.

"GO-RI-LLAS!" Tarzana copied, equally as loudly.

"I don't think shouting won't work, Miss Clarice," said Jack, quickly. "She doesn't understand English. She only knows a few words by copying us."

"Then, let me make her understand," replied Clarice, rubbing out Jack's beautiful sketch of Tarzana on the blackboard and quickly drawing a crude ape caricature with the chalk. "If I can teach a parrot to sing 'God Save the Queen', I can certainly teach this savage a thing or two."

Clarice tapped the picture with the chalk, showing it to Tarzana. "See, gorilla."

Tarzana took the chalk from her and examined it. "Gorilla."

"Oh, I think she's got it," smiled the Professor. But Tarzana used the chalk to draw a crooked line all around the picture as she added, "Oh, perhaps not."

"Maybe I'll take it from here," Jack stood up.

Jack set up a slide projector for Tarzana, and showed her photos of the world beyond the jungle.

Tarzana watched, fascinated by what she saw and by her teacher.

* * *

Over the course of the next few days, Jack showed Tarzana glimpses of his world, where millions of her kind live, as well as teaching her about books, showing her pictures, and she began to pick up the knack of speaking English and reading it a little, simply by copying him.

And Professor Porter introduces her to worlds beyond as she brought out her telescope that night and explained all about the planets and stars to Tarzana, while showing her how it worked.

The Professor also showed Tarzana many of her gadgets and gizmos she had brought with her from England, and patiently taught her about how they worked and what they were used for.

Tarzana learned that Professor Porter was a scientist. Her speciality was biology, the study of the natural world, and that she loved studying animals and plants in their natural environment. She also learned that Jack loved drawing and was very good at it.

Much to the dismay and jealously of Clarice, who seemed solely focused on finding the gorillas.

Tarzana found that her attention kept drifting to Jack. She had no real idea why, other than that she liked him a lot, and that something about him made her feel the need to be beside him all the time.

Kayode never stopped her from straying over to see the humans, although he kept it a secret from Yejide. He also kept this secret from everyone, except for Tope and Thema, who had seen her sneaking off once and so he had to confide in them.

Tarzana shared her world with Jack. She took him into the trees and she taught Jack how to swing on vines. He saw the birds, the animals, and the vast beauty of the wild.

Jack felt close to the jungle...and even closer to the jungle girl.

The following day, Clarice was growing impatient as she snapped, "We've wasted all this time on what she wants!"

Part of her anger was directed at the fact that she knew Tarzana liked Jack, and that was out of sheer jealousy on her behalf, but the other half was genuinely due to the fact that they hadn't seen hide nor hair of a gorilla yet. "The boat could arrive any day! Now ask her straight out!"

Jack had to admit that she was right. As much as he enjoyed being a tutor to Tarzana, and learning from her, they had come to study the gorillas after all, as was his mother's dream.

He turned to Tarzana, who was busily examining the Professor's model of the solar system, and cleared his throat. "Tarzana?"

Tarzana looked up and smiled at him. "Yes, Jack?"

"Would you take us to the gorillas?" Jack asked, slowly. "Do...do you understand?"

Tarzana frowned. "I understand."

"Oh, well done, Jack," his mother smiled.

"Well?" Clarice demanded.

Tarzana shook her head. "I can't."

"AWWW, What?" exclaimed Clarice.

"Why not?" asked Jack, gently.

"Yejide wouldn't like it."

That night, as she look at more slides of the human world, Tarzana's curiosity is inexhaustible, even though her teachers are not.

"I give up!" sighed Clarice, "It's bad enough the girl's after my Jack! The sooner we get away from her, the better!"

* * *

The next day, as Tarzana set out for the camp, she gathered a bouquet of flowers, just as she had seen in one of the slides Jack had shown her.

Tope and Thema watched their friend as Thema sighed peacefully, seeing that Tarzana is in love, "Ah, Tope. I've never seen her so happy!"

"Yeah? I give it a week," Tope replied, not happy.

But Tarzana didn't have a week, because when she reached the camp, she found the place in chaos. The ship that had brought Jack and the others to Africa had returned to take them home.

Jack and even his mother didn't want to leave without learning more about the gorillas. Neither did Clarice.

"I've waited 30 years for this, and I won't leave until I see a gorilla," Professor Porter said, then she turned to Tarzana, "Oh, isn't this dreadful, Tarzana?"

"You're the captain! Just tell them you've had engine trouble, and give us two more days," Clarice said to the captain.

"And be late at every port from here to London?" The Captain was discouraged.

"We'll have come all this way for nothing," Jack protested.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Porter, but I simply can't do it."

As the captain left, Clarice was furious and mad at Jack, "This is all your fault! I should've followed my instincts and set traps for the beasts! If I was in charge, this never would've happened. You never let me try to do anything around here!"

"HEY, don't you think I'm more disappointed about the gorillas?" Jack argued back. "You're being such a-"

But his words stopped when Jack turned and almost bumped into Tarzana.

When Jack saw her, he tried to explain what was happening, "I was afraid you wouldn't come in time. The boat's arrived to take us back to England. And Mother and I were wondering– Well, _I_ was wondering –Well, we really hope that you'd come along with us. Won't you?"

Tarzana thought about it, "Go see England today, come home tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Jack looked flustered. "Well,...it would be very difficult for you to come back..."

"Never come back?"

"I know this sounds very hard and difficult for you, but you'll think about. Right, Tarzana? You belong with us, with people."

Tarzana didn't respond.

"I'm sorry, Tarzana," Jack said, sadly, as he accepted the flowers and walked off into the jungle.

Clarice, who had been watching, smirked. At least, now the jungle girl would keep her hands off her man, although a thought quickly formed in her mind. She could use Tarzana's feelings for Jack to her advantage.

"Oh, dear, Tarzana," Clarice sighed, stepping up to Tarzana. "I'm so sorry. How typical. There are no trails through a man's heart."

"Jack is going," Tarzana realized.

"Yes, yes, it is a shame, really. If only he could have spent some time with the gorillas, he's so disappointed." Clarice smirked at her. "Oh, well. I suppose some things are just meant to be. Godspeed, Tarzana, we may meet again someday, or we may not."

Tarzana grabbed her arm. "Wait!"

Clarice turned to her with an expectant smirk. "Yes?"

"If Jack sees gorillas, it'd be done?"

"I imagine so." Clarice sighed as Tarzana frowned.

Tarzana took a deep breath. She had a feeling she was going to regret this,...but she so badly wanted to help Jack. "I'll do it."

"Oh, Tarzana, that's wonderful!" Clarice gushed, shaking her hand.

* * *

Tarzana knew that Yejide would never let the humans get close enough to study the gorillas, so she went to Tope and Thema with a plan.

"You want us to do what?" Tope exclaimed.

"Come on, Tope, it'd just be a for a little while," Tarzana begged.

"I don't get it!" Tope scratch his head as he tossed away the banana peel. "Are you totally coconuts?"

Thema twitched her trunk. "It wouldn't involve anything dangerous, would it, Tarzana? I'm not good under pressure."

"We all know that," Tope snorted.

"Tope, please. I trust you guys, you know that."

"Look, why's this so important to you, huh?" Tope challenged. Then, he realized why, "Oh, I see. It's Jack, right? You're doing it to impress him, aren't ya?"

Tarzana blushed. "Maybe. But it's not important to me, but it would mean a lot to the Professor. And Jack. They travelled all this way to see gorillas. The Professor wants to study them her whole life."

"OK! But man, your eyes lit up like fireflies when you said his name just now!"

"Awwwww... Isn't that sweet?" Thema cooed.

"Don't go getting mushy on me," Tope warned her, then he turned to Tarzana. "And same goes for you, too. I mean, you're the one who drop us like a newborn giraffe...KERPLOP! And now you waltz back here and expects us to just...um, what was it again?"

"Distract Yejide," Thema corrected him.

"Distract Yejide," Tope cried.

"Oh, come on, Tope, please!" Tarzana tried giving him the look.

"Oh, with the look and the eyes and the...UUGGHH!" Tope clapped a hand to his forehead as he laughed. "All right! But don't make me do anything embarrassing..."

A short time later, Tope appeared, wearing one of Jack's clothes as he groaned, "I am gonna kill her!"

"Actually, I thought that color is very becoming on you, Tope," Thema replied, waggling the Professor Porter puppet, which they had mocked up earlier, upon her trunk.

"Really?" Tope posed. "Bit revealing though, isn't it?"

They both laughed and then Thema ducked down as they spotted Yejide a little way off.

"Quick," Tope muttered, "let's lead her as far away from the rest of the family as soon as possible."

Yejide appeared in the distance and come toward them. Tope and Thema took off into the jungle.

As soon as they were gone, Tarzana motioned to the humans. She led them to the gorilla nesting grounds, where Kyode sat, eating a mango when he spotted her.

"Back already?" Kayode asked Tarzana. Then, he finished the mango at the sight of the other humans.

"Oh, my!" exclaimed Professor Porter, fanning herself after the climb. "Look at him, Jack! Isn't he magnificent?"

"He is," Jack agreed.

"He's my father," Tarzana explained, with pride.

Jack glanced from her to Kayode. "This is your...father?"

Kayode stared at the humans, unsure of whether to retreat or not.

Tarzana tried to explain, "It's alright. They don't want to hurt us."

Kayode take a glance at the humans. "I take it," he indicated in the direction of the Professor, "that this is the one who wants to observe us?"

"Yes, that's the Professor, and that's Jack, her son. He likes to draw animals."

Kayode took a deep breath, "I trust your judgement."

Tarzana beckoned her friends forward. The Professor kneel down in front of Kayode. "He is just amazing. So human-like; don't you think he looks a bit like your great Uncle Ishmael sitting in his armchair, Jack?"

Jack laughed, "A little, though Uncle Ish had less hair!"

Kayode sniffed the Professor, who remained completely still, knowing that a movement too quick could startle him.

Kayode then sat back and held his hand out, palm up. The Professor let out a gasp of amazement as she put her hand into the great gorilla's palm. "Just as I predicted! Social creatures!"

Feeling they were being watched, Clarice glanced upwards and let out a big gasp as the other gorillas stared down at them from the trees.

"It's alright," Kayode instructed them. "You can all come down now. They mean us no harm."

Hearing Kayode, the apes started to appear from their hiding places. The gorillas were afraid at first, but soon relaxed.

Some of the younger apes danced for Jack.

"Nice to meet you!" Jack said, laughing.

Professor Porter also made friends with the apes as she greeted them, "Hello! Arabella Q. Porter at your service. Quite a grip you've got there."

Even Clarice was pleased as she said slyly, "Congratulations, Professor. Our dreams have come true."

Things were working out pretty well. Even Tarzana teach Jack to speak gorilla.

Jack tried, in a broken version of gorilla language, but it set the babies cheering and hugging him in celebration.

"My word!" Jack laughed. "What did I say?"

Tarzana smiled and stroked a baby gorilla she was holding. "That Jack is glad to visit the gorillas. Now Jack can go."

Jack's smile faded, "You're letting me go? I thought you want me to stay, but..."

Just then, Jack was cut off as Tope and Thema suddenly burst through the bushes, falling over and over until Thema landed on top of Tope.

"Tope?" Thema exclaimed, getting up. "Tope? Where'd you–? Oh, there you are!"

Tope sat up, dazed. "That's it! I'm done doing favors for people!"

"Is that my shirt?" Jack was confused at Tope wearing it.

Before Tarzana could answer, Yejide came bursting through the clearing. At once, everyone fell silent.

"What's going on?" The Professor asked. She then turned to see why, "My goodness..."

Yejide turned to the humans with a snarl.

Jack scrambled to his feet as she glared at him, but before she could approach any of them, Kayode leap in the way. "No! Yejide, wait!"

"What are they doing here?!" There was no mistaking that Yejide was angry, even the humans could hear it in her roar.

Clarice had just managed to wrestle her gun back from the gorilla that had taken it and she accidentally turned it towards Yejide, "Back off!"

"No!" The Professor pushed the butt of her gun down. "We have to show them we're not dangerous!"

Yejide, seeing this, charged Clarice as the gun went off. Yejide knocked the rifle away, then pushed Clarice to the ground.

Moving quickly, Tarzana grabbed Yejide from behind and straining every muscle, slowly pulled her off of Clarice.

"Get off of me!" Yejide hissed, trying to shake her off.

"Tarzana!" Jack cried.

"Go!" Tarzana shouted to Jack. "Now! Just go!"

"Jack! Quickly!" Professor Porter grabbed Jack's arm in fear, "Hurry! Come along!"

Clarice crawled away from Yejide, then picked up her rifle, and fled.

Jack and his mother hesitated at first, but then followed Clarice. Jack took a frightened look at Tarzana. Her eyes told him that she would be fine.

With an apologetic shrug, Jack turned and ran after his mother and Clarice.

When the humans were gone, Tarzana released Yejide, "Yejide... I didn't... I'm sorry... I-"

But Yejide cut her off, "How could you bring these humans here to our nesting grounds?"

Kayode soon stepped forward, "They mean us no harm, Yejide. They were friendly, they showed no hostility–"

"No hostility? Yeah right...," Yejide argued back, then she turned to Tarzana, "And you! Protect the family, Tarzana, was the one thing you were supposed to do. You couldn't do one thing? You blew it!"

"I didn't mean for this to happen," Tarzana replied. "I've spent time with them."

"You didn't know them like I did! They were _your_ kind and all the same!" said Yejide. She was getting angrier at every comment. "And you had been willing to risk our safety for a bunch of humans who might bring their weapons and traps, invading our nesting grounds and massacre this entire family–"

"YOU DON'T GET IT, I LOVE HIM!" Tarzana yelled back, angrily, who wouldn't give in and wanted Yejide to stop talking. Then, she gasped and covered her mouth.

Tarzana couldn't believe she admitted that. But it was true, truer than anything she had ever said in her life.

Tope and Thema, seeing this, gasped as well. Kyode saw this as well in silent with his eyes saddened and worried.

Yejide was stunned. "No! Have you lost your senses completely?" she replied, red with anger. "It's because of your foolishness that this happened!"

"I don't care," said Tarzana.

"Then, I think it's for the best that you don't belong here! You're a traitor to this family!" Yejide yelled, angrily.

The words hurt more than any physical blow as Tarzana scrabbled to her feet. "I would never do anything to betray the family!"

"When I first saw you, I knew this day would come. You have selfishly betrayed us for long enough!"

"Yejide!" exclaimed Kayode. "That's enough!"

"You have been so foolish with your reckless actions," Yejide continued. "And through the years, the jungle has been through every little hardship that nature can dish out. But you, Tarzana, are nothing but the biggest threat to ever hit _our_ jungle and to us all! Do the first thing in your life, and NEVER come back!"

"Fine!" Sobbing, Tarzana backed away, shaking her head in tears. Then she broke into a run, disappearing into the forest.

Kyode's face softened in sadness at Tarzana's unhappiness. He sadly watched her as he felt terrible and also felt responsible for what had just happened.

* * *

"What the matter?" Professor Porter asked her son as she, Jack, and Clarice walked back to their packed up campsite, noticing Jack's sad face. "You're thinking about Tarzana, are you?"

Jack nodded sadly.

"Why did that ape attackd us for?" Clarice asked.

"We're people," replied Jack. "You know how they are. They think we're strangers...and killers."

"What?! That's absurd!" shouted Clarice. "I'm so not like that...and so are you."

"Well, obviously, not ALL of us. But most of us would tried to look for any excuse to attack the gorillas," replied Jack.

"But Jack, that thing attacked us," said Clarice, referring to Yejide.

Professor Porter gasped at what Clarice had just said to her son.

"You know what? You may be our guide and all," replied Jack angrily. "But if you would've brought your rifle along, you'll understand what I mean."

But deep down, Jack wasn't sure what he believed.

As they made it to camp to sleep, Jack looked back, feeling very sad that he'll never see Tarzana again.

* * *

A short time later, Kayode found Tarzana gazing off into the distance. She could see the port where the ship was waiting to take Jack home.

Tarzana curled into herself, still sobbing in tears. She felt awful, but she didn't want Jack to leave either. She knew that her feelings for him were strong, and she had hoped that he might reciprocate them.

"I'm so confused," she sighed to Kayode. Then, she asked mournfully, "What do I do? I need advice. I need an answer."

Kayode took a deep breath. He knew he had to tell Tarzana the truth. "Come with me. There's something I wanted to show you long ago."

Kayode took Tarzana to the tree house, long deserted now and overgrown with vines.

On the floor was a photograph of two parents and a baby girl, the same photograph that Kayode had once stepped on when he had first arrived in the tree house. Now, after so many years, the glass was covered in a thick layer of dust.

Tarzana brushed away the dust and looked at the photograph. The man, she reflected, looked a little like Jack, though his eyes and the color of his hair were different. The woman looked something like her, and in her arms, she held a tiny baby girl, who was smiling at the camera.

Tarzana drew in her breath. "Is this me?"

Kayode nodded.

"And this is my mother... and, and my...?"

"Father," Kayode finished. "Sabor killed them. I should have told you before. They managed to save you by hiding you. I found you and rescued you when Sabor came back for you."

Kayode then laid a hand on her shoulder as he continued, "Now you know. Tarzana, I just want you to be happy,...whatever you decide."

They embraced, and Kayode moved off, leaving Tarzana alone. Her heart felt like it was torn in two. Home was here with her family and yet she couldn't bear the thought of being away from Jack either.

But was he right? Did she belong in a world with other people?

And was Yejide right? Did she not belong with the gorillas at all?

A few moments later, Tarzana emerged from the tree house, wearing her mother's clothes from the trunk. Perhaps not as pretty as her mother had been, but more ladylike...like Thema had always said she should be.

Tarzana had made her decision. Her real home was with humans.

Approaching Kayode, she embraced him. "No matter where I go, you'll always be my dad," she told him.

Kayode nodded as he replied, "And you'll always be my little kid. They'll be waiting. You'd better go now."

Eventually, they parted and Kayode followed her in the direction of the shore. At the edge, where forest met sand, he look at her for the last time. "Goodbye, Tarzana."

* * *

The next morning, Tarzana walked down to the beach, where Jack, his mother, and even Clarice were preparing to leave.

"Oh, Tarzana!" Jack cried, seeing her. "I'm so glad you found us in time."

"Yes," Professor Porter added, "My son wouldn't let us leave without you."

They climbed into a small boat and set out for the ship, which was anchored in the bay.

As the boat moved away from shore, Tope and Thema, who had heard all of this from Kayode, came running out of the jungle.

"Tarzana!" Thema came crashing onto the beach, followed by Tope, as the boat was almost at the ship.

"Oh, we're too late! I can't believe it! If you hadn't pulled over and ask for directions!" snapped Tope.

Thema's lip trembled. "We didn't get to say goodbye."

"Yeah, well, good riddance, all right?" Tope shouted, throwing a shell towards the sea with a feeble arm. "After all I've done for you! Go on, get outta here, bald runt! You ingrate! Go on and rot for all I care! Go!"

Tope kicked the sand and then he glared at Thema. "What are you lookin' at?"

Thema sniffed back tears. "I'm gonna miss her too."

As the boat reached the ship, Jack could'n't hide his excitement, "Oh, Tarzana. You can't imagine what's in store for you. You're going to see the world. Everyone's going to want to meet you - kings, scientists, and famous writers-"

"All the greats – perhaps even Queen Victoria herself!" Professor Porter added.

Jack smiled. "Yeah, we haven't even met her, but people tell us she's awfully nice."

Tarzana glanced at him. "And...I'll be with Jack."

Flustered but pleased, Jack nodded. "Yes. With me...Oops, slippery," he added as he missed the ladder with his hand, not concentrating. "There it is."

Tarzana shot one last lingering look back at the jungle, realizing that she didn't managed to say goodbye to Thema and Tope first. Then, she followed Jack and his mother up the ladder to the ship.

When she reached the desk, Tarzana found them in the grip of two rough-looking men. Beyond them, several crew members were tied up in ropes.

There had been a mutiny!

"Jack?" Tarzana was shocked.

"Tarzana!" Jack struggled as they held him back. "Tarzana! Run!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" A familiar voice appeared.

Suddenly, Clarice was there and with one sharp movement, she knocked Tarzana down with the butt of her rifle. Tarzana hit the deck hard and then felt herself dragged to her feet by two of the men.

"So sorry about the mutiny and the rude welcome going on around here, old girl," Clarice said to Tarzana, then she showed her a full amount of giant cages, "But I couldn't let you making a scene when we put your furry friends in their cages!"

"Why?" Tarzana asked.

"Why? For 300 pounds sterling a head! In other words, for money! Because once they're in cages, it will make me extremely rich! And actually, I have you to thank, my girl, for leading me right to them! Couldn't have done it without you!"

"You won't get away with this!" Professor Porter cried. She was dragged away to the brig as she added, "Take your hands off me, you rogues, you cads!"

Clarice's only answer was a laugh.

"You wretched woman!" Jack exclaimed.

"Yes, it is a pity, Jack," Clarice replied, sliding up to him and stroking his face. "I quite liked you. We could have been good together. But I can't have any of you getting in my way. Lock them up with the others!"

Tarzana cried out in despair.

Back on shore, Tope was heading home with Thema following him when the two heard Tarzana's anguished cry in the distance.

"That sounded like Tarzana," Thema cried, realizing what was happening. "She's in trouble."

"Yeah? Well, why doesn't she get her new friends to help her?" Tope snorted. "I don't care!"

Thema narrowed her eyes and then seized Tope, spinning him around to face her. "That's it, Temitope! I've had it with you and your emotional constipation! Tarzana needs us, we're her friends, and we're going to help her! You got that?"

"Okay...," Tope found himself thrust onto her back as Thema continued, "Now, pipe down and hang on tight! We've got a boat to catch!"

Thema charged out of the jungle, dove into the water, and headed for the ship.

"I never felt so alive!" Thema exclaimed as they surfaced.

"Good," shouted Tope, "'Cause I'm gonna kill ya!"

"No time for that now, Mister!"

Meanwhile, Tarzana, desperate to stop Clarice, was trying everything in her power to escape the ship's hold, where she and her human friends were being held prisoner.

Again and again, she hurled herself at the bunk head, but it wouldn't give way.

"Tarzana!" Jack caught hold of her as she was literally bouncing off the walls to try and break free. Tarzana turned to him, her eyes wild, and Jack felt the need to give her a little shake. "Don't. You'll hurt yourself."

Tarzana was shaking with rage. "Clarice..."

"Yes, Clarice," Jack hugged her, although she stood limp for a while. "Clarice betrayed us all. I'm sorry, Tarzana."

"No. I am." Tarzana suddenly clung onto him. "I betrayed my family."

"Oh, those magnificent creatures shivering in cages!" Professor Porter shook her head. "No! I won't stand for it! I won't!"

"You're good." Tarzana looked at them. "Both of you. But there are people, like Clarice and Sabor, who are bad. Why?"

Jack smiled, sadly. "I'm afraid the world is just like that, Tarzana."

Tarzana smiled a bit for Jack.

"What is this world coming to?!" Professor Porter slapped the side of the wall and then, suddenly, they all yelped as the ship heeled over to one side.

Jack hit the wall and Tarzana crashed into him, just managing to keep the Professor from falling over a crate in the process.

"By Jove!" Professor Porter exclaimed. "I don't know my own strength!"

But it wasn't the Professor who was rocking the boat. It was Thema, who upon arriving at the ship, had gripped the anchor chain and lifted her massive body up onto the deck.

The ship righted itself and several loud crashed caused them all to glance to the top deck in alarm.

"What was that all about?" Jack asked.

As Tope and Thema fought off the mutineers, Thema's foot crashed through the deck, opening a gaping hole.

"That sounded like an elephant!" the Professor cried.

"Thema!" Tarzana cried as Thema trumpeted in delight and pulled her out with her trunk.

At once, Tope leap on her for a hug. "Oh, I thought we'd never see you again!"

Thema grabbed them both for a hug. "Ya know, sometimes you really embarrass me, Tope."

The pair had managed to knock out the soldiers that had stayed on the ship, but Clarice was already back on the shore with several others, and their cages.

Tarzana ran to the side of the ship. They had to hurry and she couldn't hurry in a dress.

"Wait, Tarzana, don't take it off!" Thema sighed, shaking her head. "It really is quite becoming on you!"

"Not the issue here," Tope reminded her, yanking the Professor out of the brig. Thema did the same to Jack.

Tarzana turned to them. "Thema, Tope, help them get to shore. I'm going on ahead to stop Clarice."

Devoid of her dress, in her scanty jungle garments, she turned and dived off the side of the ship and into the water.

Thema turned to Jack and his mother and beckoned them with her trunk. Tope made a gesture for them to let Thema pick them up.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Professor Porter as she was helped up. "First meeting a gorilla family, then riding an elephant, what's next?"

"Saving the gorillas from Lady Clarice. That's what, Mother," Jack reminded her, smiling with determination.

"Quite right," Professor Porter agreed as she nodded.

"Next stop, home turf!" Tope cried, leaping up behind them.

* * *

That night, Kyode and the other apes were resting in the forest when suddenly, a flare lit up the sky.

As the apes drew back in fright, Clarice and her men came charging in weapons drawn.

The apes were rounded up and thrown in cages. All except for Yejide, who was trapped in a net.

Clarice approached her, grinning. "Ahh... I remember you. I think this one will be better off stuffed."

Clarice raised her rifle and prepared to fire. Then, suddenly, the ground shook and Tarzana came swinging on a vine, followed by a herd of jungle creatures.

Joining them was Thema, with Tope, Jack, and Professor Porter on her back.

"Charge!" Professor Porter shouted as all the animals rallied up their way.

The soldiers all leapt aside to avoid being crushed. Clarice let out an angry scream as she tried to find her gun amid the confusion.

Tarzana snatched up a flint from the ground and sawed through the net, freeing Yejide.

"You're back?" Yejide exclaimed.

"Nah, I came home," Tarzana replied.

Tarzana and her friends set about opening the cages. Tope scared several men into a cage by pretending to be rabid with mashed banana.

Then, as another advanced on him with a pike, Thema snatched him with her trunk and threw him into another cage at the Professor's cry of "Fire!"

Tarzana and Yejide worked quickly to free the others from the nets.

But before they could finish, Clarice called out two of her men, "Take what you can back to the boat. I've got some hunting to do."

The two men quickly picked up the cage containing Kayode. Seeing this, Jack grabbed a nearby vine and swung at the men, knocking the first off his feet, and causing them both to drop the cage.

The other man turned on him, but then the baboons charged towards him and he ran at once.

Jack laughed as the baby baboon he had met before landed on his shoulder and snuggled up to him. Then, he noticed that Kayode was panicking in the cage and ran towards him.

"It's alright," Jack said, trying to figure out how to unlock the cage. "I'll get you out of here. Trust me."

His eyes met Kayode's and both of them shared a look of mutual understanding.

Then, as a man came up behind Jack with a crowbar, Tarzana leap on him from the trees and caught the crowbar in mid leap.

Jack grinned at her. "That should do the trick!"

They worked together to get the cage opened and Kayode hugged his daughter. "Tarzana! You're back!"

Before she could respond, a gunshot rang out and Tarzana yelled in pain as the bullet grazed her flesh.

"No!" Jack shouted as he went to Tarzana. Yejide turned to see the whole thing.

Clarice approached, with rifle in hand, preparing to finish her off for disrupting her plans.

Clarice aimed and was about to fire when Yejide came charging in between them.

 ** _BANG!_** Yejide was shot by Clarice as she fell to the ground.

Tarzana tried to help, but was forced to flee into the jungle with Clarice right behind her.

"A chase scene?" Clarice said, evilly, with a devilish grin. "Oh, how I loved chases!"

"NO! Leave her alone," Jack yelled at Clarice as he tried to stop her, but she pushed him away.

"I could use a little challenge," Clarice continued, "because with you finally out of the way, rounding up your little animal family will be easy as pie!"

Clarice chased Tarzana high into the trees. There, the two women fought, Tarzana took Clarice's rifle.

"Go ahead. Shoot me," Clarice teased. "Be a woman."

"Not a woman like you," Tarzana answered as she smashed the gun.

Looking at her broken weapon, Clarice angrily knocked Tarzana aside and drew out her hunting knife. "Come on then, savage woman! Let's end this!"

Tarzana then leap into the cluster of vines for safety, but Clarice followed her, but she realized that she got tangled in the vines, and she fell to the ground far below. Never again would she threaten anyone in the jungle.

Meanwhile, Yejide was fading fast. Tarzana fell to her knees and the Professor moved to her son's side.

"Yejide, I'm so sorry," Tarzana whispered, taking her hand.

"No," Yejide breathed, her voice raspy as she squeezed Tarzana's hand back. "I'm sorry for not understanding that you have always been one of us; a part of this family. I was so blinded my own prejudices. But you...you are one of us...and I am proud to call you my daughter."

All the gorillas began to weep silently.

Thema wiped her eyes with her trunk as the other elephants raised theirs in silent salute.

The baboons hung their heads.

Professor Porter buried her face in her hands and cried.

Jack fell on his knees beside Tarzana and then pressed close to her for comfort.

It was a victory, but a sad one that they all felt.

Kayode looked at the ape family. As their leader, he led them into the jungle.

* * *

The next morning, the ship was ready to depart.

Professor Porter and the captain were already on a small boat, watching as Tarzana and Jack spoke, for what they knew would be the last time.

"London's going to be so small after all of this," Jack tells her.

With Tope and Thema behind her, Tarzana looked into his eyes. "I'll miss you, Jack."

"Mr. Porter!" called the Captain.

"Yes, I know, I'm coming!" Jack called before turning back to Tarzana with a heavy heart. "Well...I suppose we should say good-bye, then."

He held out his hand to her. Tarzana pressed her palm to his, just as she had done the first day they met.

"Goodbye, Jack," Tarzana said, her voice trembling.

Jack took a deep breath...and sighed. "Goodbye, Tarzana."

Jack, overcome with sorrow, turned away and ran to his mother.

As they pushed away from shore, Professor Porter waved. "Thank you for everything! And tell your family goodbye from us, too!"

Tarzana gave her a wave back as the Professor sighed and sat down opposite to her son. "I'm going to miss that girl."

Settling into her seat, the professor took her son's hand when she noticed Jack's beautiful sketch of him and Tarzana, "Jack, sweetie, I can't help feeling that you should stay."

Jack stared at her. "Mother, please don't. We've been through all this. I belong in London with you... and with people and–"

He broke off as a sudden gust of wind snatched the sketch from his hands and whipped it back to the shore.

Tarzana caught it and looked at it. She looked up at Jack who met her gaze.

"But you love her," Professor Porter prompted.

Jack let her words sink in and then realized that it was what he wanted...to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loved.

He looked at the Professor. She nodded to the beach with a smile, "Go on, son. It's alright."

Glancing back, Jack knew what he wanted to do. With a smile, he turned, gave his mother a hug, then leaped into the water, and swam toward shore.

Tarzana met him at the surf, where Jack laughed as he was almost knocked off his feet and then, picking her up, he swung her around, causing her to laugh, too.

Then, without stopping to think about whether or not it was the done thing, Jack kissed her, fiercely, much to her surprise.

Tarzana stared at him, unsure of how to respond and Jack realized what he was doing and stopped, setting her back on her feet.

"Um...," Jack flushed, taking the sketch from her hands, "thanks for saving this..."

Tarzana looked up at him and then, wrapping her arms around him, kissed him again.

Jack smiled at her.

The professor, watching from the boat, turned to the captain, "Tell them you couldn't find us. After all, people get lost in the jungle every day. Bye!"

And with that, she leaped overboard, too, and splashed towards them, loaded with her bags.

"Mother?" Jack exclaimed.

"I don't know what I was thinking!" Professor Porter exclaimed. "Why study animals and plants from afar in England when I can study them up close and personal in Africa!"

Jack laughed as Tarzana pulled him close for another kiss and then, with an embarrassed smile, nodded over her shoulder.

Tarzana turned to see most of the ape family, Thema, and all the animals gathered on the beach behind them.

Both Thema and Tope looked largely amused.

"That is," the Professor added, making a bow of respect to Kayode, "if it's alright with your family, of course."

Kayode glanced at his daughter. He smiled and nodded. Then, he reached out his hand to the Professor and led her into the midst of the gorillas and animals.

Jack, gathering up his courage, stepped up and cleared his throat as he spoke some words Tarzana had taught him. "Let me see if I've got this right. Ooh-ooh-eeh-eh-ooh."

Tarzana smiled and the animals cheered. Then, she leaped onto Thema's back, pulled Jack up next to her, and everyone went riding off the jungle.

"Oh, you must teach us to speak gorilla fluently!" the Professor exclaimed. "And elephant too! There's so much I can learn from the animals if I can talk to them!"

Tarzana was happier. She found her home and family. Here in the jungle, where she and Jack would live happily ever after. Together, living and breathing the jungle, with Tope, Thema, Kayode, the Professor and everyone else.

 _This was the story of two families. One was human, and the other, a family of apes. It had taken a long time, but at last, after 20 years, the two families had become one._  
 _It all never would've happened without a father's love, a mother's understanding, and the strength of their adopted daughter, Tarzana._

 **THE END!**


End file.
